That Lorain Monument by the River

Here's an interesting photo from the Special Collections File of the Lorain Public Library. It shows a monument commemorating a pioneer trading post down by the Black River. I believe the photo dates from around 1967.

It's interesting because the monument has since been moved from this location.

The photo caption read, "In a small park at the mouth of the Black River, near a U.S. Coast Guard station and the giant coal and ore docks that server to symbolize modern Lorain's busy port, a plaque commemorates the founding of a trading post with the Indians some 160 years ago."

The plaque has the following inscription:

IN 1807 A TRADING POST WITH THE INDIANS WAS ESTABLISHED NEAR THIS SITE BY NATHAN PERRY, JR. THAT RESULTED IN THE SETTLEMENT OF LORAIN WHICH IN PIONEER DAYS WAS KNOWN AS THE MOUTH OF BLACK RIVER

ERECTED BY NATHAN PERRY CHAPTER

DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

MAY 30, 1925

You can see it in this vintage postcard next to the road that ran along the east side of the Black River.

I happened to photograph the monument back in the summer of 1979. As you can see from my shot (below), the paint-splattered monument had sunk a bit – seeing as the bottom of the arrowhead was touching the ground.

The road that ran in front of it was pretty much gone at that point; for another view of that area in front of the monument in 1979, click here.

With the road as shown eventually disappearing into the Black River, the monument was eventually moved to its present location on the northern side of the riverfront park.

Here is the "today" view showing the relocated monument in the now rehabilitated park.